EMR

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All Rise...

Judge Joel Pearce cursed his dyslexia when he learned this British indie thriller has nothing to do with Michael Stipe.

The Charge

What if you're not paranoid?

Opening Statement

At first glance, I thought EMR was yet another trip into British
gangster territory. As it turns out, it's more like a bizarre cross between
Mulholland Drive and Conspiracy Theory. It's a fine little film,
too, if a bit too ambitious.

Facts of the Case

Adam (Adam Leese, Quality Indigo) is an epileptic conspiracy junkie.
He has few real relationships, but does have a job and an online girlfriend
named Lilly (Whitney Cummings). His life is an ever tentative balancing act,
which falls apart when he becomes suspicious of his new epilepsy medication.
When he investigates, terrible things start to happen.

Adam has a terrible seizure, then wakes up in South America short one
kidney. He finds himself in San Fransisco, only to be kidnapped by a taxi driver
when he seeks out Lilly. He is fired from his job. Between each of these
nightmarish episodes in his life, he awakes in his apartment, only to discover
that he has been gone for a week or more. Every event leads him to the
pharmaceutical company, but his investigation makes no headway: His entire life
is spinning out of control…

The Evidence

If nothing else, EMR reinforces a truth we all know already:
Pharmaceutical companies are evil and must be destroyed. Seriously, though, it
is a film that plays well to the fears that we share as a culture. We put so
much faith in our comfortable lives. Our jobs are secure. Our relationships are
stable. The medication we are on helps and is completely safe. Often, behind all
of this trust, a small voice cries out, asking "what if?" There are
bad people out there, and they do have to target someone.

The back of the DVD's case calls the film plot-driven, but that's not true
at all. In fact, trying to follow the plot of EMR is a futile exercise.
This is a film driven purely by tone and character. Fortunately, both of these
things are established really well. The cinematography is fantastic, capturing
the paranoia that drives the film and never showing more than is necessary. It
uses a number of inventive angles, as well as some really compelling handheld
work. The characters are interesting too. While Adam is an everyman, he's also a
very stylized victim in all of the proceedings. He never breaks the cycle and
peels back the curtain to reveal the sinister monsters that are controlling his
fate. Rather, he is a pathetic but likable loser, pulled ever closer to his own
fate thanks to his inability to act and find a foothold in his life.

Unfortunately, not everything works so well. The ending is a monumental
disappointment, partly because no ending could possibly live up to the bizarre
sequence of events that Adam suffers through. I knew halfway through that the
ending would be disappointing, although I suppose the final twist is fitting in
some ways. Still, it's an ending that negates everything that has come before,
rather than building on our understanding of it. By remaining painfully
ambiguous, a film like Mulholland Drive is more frustrating, but also
more satisfying. Maybe it's just that surprise endings have become so common
that they no longer shock us.

Also, many of the supporting roles are not so interesting. There are some
downright painful moments, such as a scene with paramedics, as well as the
performance from Whitney Cummings once Adam and Lilly actually meet. I suppose
that's to be expected in a film with unproven actors in the minor roles, but it
still damages the overall impact of the film.

More than anything, EMR feels too self-conscious. This marks
directors James Erskine and Danny McCullough's move from television to feature
films, and they are trying to show off what they can do. They have a hip indie
soundtrack, use all the stylish tricks in the book, toss in a few unique
gimmicks, and deliver a film that would never be released into a mainstream
market. This is a test run, a bid to get noticed in the international film
festival scene. From the numerous award citations scattered over the cover, they
appear to have achieved their goal. It would have been a better film if they
hadn't made it so flashy, though. At times, the assembly of the film is
distracting.

Shiny Object has delivered a fine DVD. The video transfer is solid
considering the low budget source material. The sound is excellent, especially
for a Dolby Surround track. It has plenty of depth and clarity, and the music is
great. There aren't many extras, but there is a pleasant commentary track with
the two directors as well as a production featurette. It looks like it was a fun
shoot, and the energy has definitely been transferred to the screen.

Closing Statement

In all honesty, EMR isn't a great movie. Some moments don't work well,
and it's a bit too surreal to impact the audience as much as it should. Still,
it stands as a great indie debut, and it deserves to be checked out. It's nice
to see independent filmmakers really digging in and producing films that don't
try to compete with the mainstream market. Check it out.